Influenced by Qatar’s steadfast commitment towards spreading hope, and promoting peace and justice through sustainable and inclusive development, Qatar Fund For Development (QFFD) yesterday signed several agreements and a memorandum of understanding with leading humanitarian aid agencies. Qatar, under the wise leadership, has exerted significant efforts in the development and humanitarian aid sectors in order to serve the needy in a sustainable manner.
QFFD and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) signed an agreement under which Qatar will contribute to support the access of Palestine refugees to basic services in Syria. In 2018, Qatar became one of the Agency’s top ten donors. Qatar’s timely contribution allowed the Agency to open its schools on time for some 530,000 boys and girls in 711 UNRWA schools.
QFFD and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, signed an agreement worth $4m to provide much-needed seasonal cash assistance for tens of thousands of refugee men, women and children. The cash assistance, which will be distributed until the end of December 2019, is expected to support over 20,900 Syrian refugees in Jordan and around 24,900 in Lebanon.
QFFD’s contributions to UNHCR’s programmes have reached nearly $28m supporting some over 600,000 refugees and internally displaced persons in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Bangladesh and Yemen.
QFFD signed a memorandum of understanding with the Dutch non-governmental organization ‘SPARK, with the aim of supporting and empowering Syrian refugee youth. The Fund also announced at the Doha Forum, that the successful eye health initiative, Qatar Creating Vision (QCV), will expand across Africa and Asia in 2020. Implemented by international eye care charity Orbis, QCV will improve access to eye care services for millions of adults and children across the two continents.
QFFD also signed an agreement to support the Analysis and Communication Center of the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. The agreement aims at enhancing knowledge and skills related to the protection of children affected by armed conflict in the region and raising awareness and encouraging the collection of information about the plight of children affected by war, and strengthen international cooperation to improve their protection.
Qatar also announced, through the Qatar Fund for Development, to support the Country Based Pooled Funds in Nigeria, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
QFFD is a public entity which is mandated to coordinate and implement foreign aid projects on behalf of Qatar. QFFD has provided foreign assistance to several countries worldwide targeting a variety of sectors, including education, healthcare, and economic development.
